


Rocket and Peter Can Dance

by fallenfromluster



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-23 01:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11392386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenfromluster/pseuds/fallenfromluster
Summary: "The mission was a complete joke. After saving the galaxy twice, a few smugglers weren’t exactly a threat for Starlord and the most heavily armed raccoon in existence. And Peter kicked himself inside for thinking Rocket was a raccoon. His buddy’s not, he’s just not. He's a person." Rocket and Peter share drinks after a mission, which leads to hidden feelings being expressed.





	Rocket and Peter Can Dance

Rocket and Peter had been drinking for a while. The bar wasn’t the best—to call it a dive bar would have been generous—but it was the first bar they’d seen after getting paid. The mission was a complete joke. After saving the galaxy twice, a few smugglers weren’t exactly a threat for Starlord and the most heavily armed raccoon in existence. And Peter kicked himself inside for thinking Rocket was a raccoon. His buddy’s not, he’s just not. He’s a person and Peter knows him well enough to know understand how much it hurts when someone calls him an animal; it’s why he called him a trash panda to his face. But Rocket had come back for him even after that. Peter winced, then tried to hide it by taking a sip.

“You all right Quill? I didn’t take you for a lightweight.”

“I’m fine, geeze, just a twinge in my knee. You’re what, a hundred pounds lighter. I can drink you under the table easy.”

“Sure you can Quill. You humies think you’ve got it all figured out, but no one ain’t never taken me down drinking.”

“I’ll take that bet.”

Both Rocket and Peter raised their hands to ask the bartender for a whole bottle of Xandarian Whiskey. 640 units, but they’d just made 57,000. Peter was buzzed, no beyond that, he was blasted. It’d been fine after three shots. At seven, he was slurring, at nine it was too much. He waved Rocket off when he tried to pour another drink and said, “All right…Rockey, you win. I’m done.” Swaying in his seat he ordered a water from the bartender; he barely heard Rocket.

“Rockey, you called me Rockey.”

“Sorry,” Peter slurred. When he first met Quill, this might have made Rocket angry, but he’d gone soft on the guy, especially after his last talk with Yondu.

“It’s okay, Stardork. I’ll get you back to the Milano.” Normally Peter would object to the nickname, but the lights were swimming in his eyes, and he really just wanted a bed. As Rocket turned to close the tab, Peter saw a hand descending onto his head.

“How cute!”

He punched the asshole again, and again. It wasn’t just that this could lead to the entire bar being shot up. It was that Rocket felt less every time someone treated him like an animal, like a pet. And Peter saw red. Rocket pulled him off the guy, maybe a Kree, but it was hard to tell under the makeup and blood. The bouncers showed up immediately and dragged Peter out with Rocket threatening the lives of them, their family, and the whole planet. Peter got up from the ground outside the bar, then vomited against the bricks in the alleyway. His head was still swimming, but he could make out Rocket shouting at him.

 “Quill, what the flark was that?”

Peter wiped his mouth. “He was going to pet you. You hate that.”

Rocket deflated somewhat, and said, “You don’t need to protect me.”

“But I want to.” Rocket stilled. He hadn’t expected that. He rubbed his face, and just groaned. Peter was obviously out of it and wouldn’t remember this conversation. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Rocket led/carried Peter to the ship (Rocket’s a lot stronger than people give him credit for. Carrying all those guns isn’t easy) and got him to his room. Peter was mostly cooperative, but kept trying to hug rocket on the way. It wasn’t helpful for walking. Rocket through him on the bed, gave him water, and was about to leave, when Rocket heard Peter say, “I’m sorry I called you Trash panda. Please don’t hate me.”

“Is that what’s been bothering you all night?”

“Yeah,” Peter said sniffling.

Rocket walked back to Peter’s bed and hopped on. “Don’t worry about it you idiot. Quill, Peter. Don’t ever tell anyone this, but you gave me a krootakin future. When I first shot you, you were just another score. I didn’t expect to live much longer. I didn’t want to. And then we became the Guardians of the Galaxy. You’re the first family I ever had aside from Groot.”

Peter was crying. It didn’t seem like the bad kind, but Rocket had never been good at this sort of thing. Rocket reached out to stroke Peter’s hand, then just held it there for a few minutes. Peter whispered, “Please stay,” and it was the only invitation he needed to curl up on Peter’s chest.

The morning was awkward. The two were still curled up together, but Peter had laid his arm across Rocket and Rocket had nestled under Peter’s chin.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Sorry I was a mess last night.”

“No problem, you’ve seen the messes I’ve created, especially the bullet holes.” Peter chuckled, but Rocket wasn’t done. He climbed off Peter’s chest than turn away to look at the ground. “I need to tell you something, though. You remember last night? Our words?” Peter nodded, “I wasn’t just metaphorological when I told you that you gave me a future. You humies wouldn’t notice for years but, we’re not aging.”

“What are you talking about Rocket?”

“We held the gem. No one in the history of the universe has held it longer. We’re different. I’m an animal quill.”

Peter panicked and grabbed rockets paw, shaking it. “You’re not an animal, you’re not.”

“But I have the body of one.” Rocket panted for a few seconds and then sobbed. “The point is that I’m not going to die. I thought I was, but the gem blew that away. We’re all going to live as long as we flarking want or until our heads are blown off.”

“Rocket, that’s great! Or disturbing. Please don’t talk about blown off heads anymore.”

“You may want to reconsider that in a minute Quill, there’s one last thing I have to tell you.” Rocket had sworn he’d never tell Peter this, but after Peter defended him and the cuddling, he was weak. “With all this time extra, I started having ideas. Maybe ideas about having someone in my life beyond a friend.” Peter didn’t understand why Rocket was looking more despondent with every word. Rocket was going to live and was even considering finding a partner. “And these ideas involve you.” Peter didn’t respond. “That’s what I thought. Sorry for bothering you.” Rocket left the room.

Peter was stunned. He’d never put his feeling into words, but it made sense. He wanted to protect Rocket, he wanted to know rocket, he wanted rocket just to be there. He wasn’t sure about the sex, but that could come later. He sprinted to Rocket’s room, but the door was locked. Peter pounded on the door until Gamora and Drax appeared to check out the noise. Gamora knew it was time to leave when Peter turned around with tears were flowing down his face. “Guys, please, I need to be in private with Rocket.”

“If it is private, why are you in the hall?”

Gamora dragged Drax away, despite his offer to smash the door. And Peter just collapsed against it. “Rocket I’m not mad. I’m worried. And a bit happy. I like you. You’re fun, dangerous, and have saved my ass more times than I can count. I’ll help you blow up another planet, just please let me in.” The door slid open and Peter hit his head on the floor.

“You got a way with words, Quill.” Peter grabbed him and held him in a hug, surprisingly not being bit or scratched. “It’s why I’m captain.”

“You realize what I said means right? Humies can be kind of stupid.”

“Yeah, I’m stupid, but I like you, and that word isn’t even strong enough.”

Rocket just laughed and hugged Quill tighter.

“Peter, that’s best thing I’ve heard since I got offered 40,000 units for you.”

“So what do you think will freak out Gamora and Drax more. Me and you, or living forever?”

“Living forever easily. They knew I’d score a hunk eventually.”

“You calling me a hunk?”

“No, just saying what they knew I got something good coming.” Rocket couldn’t blush, but Peter knew he would have.

Drax found out immediately, because he found Peter kissing Rocket in the kitchen. It wasn’t shock, just curiosity. “I do not understand. Rocket does not dance. You are always with someone who can dance.”

Rocket felt ashamed for a second until Peter pulled him up and started swaying.

“I was wrong. Quill can make anyone dance. I am leaving, lest I also dance.”

A week later when Rocket told Drax and Gamora about their impending immortality, they were much more surprised.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I really like this pair. Rocket and Peter are just both such badasses with tragic pasts, and I think a relationship between them would be cool and interesting. This is my first fic, so if there're any constructive criticism, I would welcome it. Thank you!


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